Gate.



No. 636,092. Patented Oct. 3|, |899.

" J. A. WELCH.

' GATE.

(Appumin mea July 21, 1899.)

(No Model.)

AEErcE.

PATENT JOHN A. WELCH, OF AUSTIN, MISSOURI.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,092, dated October31, 1899.

Application filed July 21, 1899. Serial No. 724,627. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. WELCH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Austin, in the county of Cass and State of Missouri, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Gates, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in gates;and it" consists in the construction and combination of the parts, aswill be hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 isa perspective view of a gate embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is avertical sectional-view of a part of the gate-operating mechanism. Fig.3 is a plan vi'eW of a plate carried by one of the gate-posts. Fig. etis a detail view showing the form of catch with which the gate-latchengages, and is a detail perspective View of the housing or cover for apart of the gate-operating mechanism.

A refers to one of the gate-posts, which is provided with a recess a,having therein a depression a' and inclined portions a2, upon which thegate-latch will ride before entering the recess or depression d'. Theupper portion of the recess d is constructed to present a centraldepending portion immediately above the depression o' and inclinationswhich springdownwardly therefrom, as will more fulljygappear -jbyreference to Fig. 4 of the dIlLWllgSq' 'j The latch-post A hasnear itsibase acrosspiece A', the ends of which arei'nclineddownward, and uponsaid cross-pieceandthe catch the gate is adapted to rest when'gclosed.

To the gate-post B, located on the opposite side of the gateway from thelatch-post A, is rigidly secured a plate B', said plate having near itscentral portion a rectangular opening, through which the upper end ofthe post passes. The plate is provided with a slot B2, the sides ofwhich converge and join at the front portion of the. plate, and `saidplate is also provided with a recess'b',which is adapted The forwardportion of theplate B' is angular and its rear portion is semicircular,as vshown in Fig. 3, which construction provides at the junction of thecircularfpart with the angular sides laterally-projecting portions,against which a lever or bar D will abut to limit the swingingmovement'of the Vgate and lever.

The gate C is preferably made of gas-pipe or other tubular material, andthe end bar c of the frame thereof inclines, as shown, and projectsabove and below the horizontal bars of the gate. The lower end of thebar c passes through an eyebolt near the base of the post B, and theupper end passes through the slot.

B2 and projects slightly above the plate B',

so as to engage with a lever pivoted on a line with the post B. To thefront end of the gate is pivoted a suitably-constructedlatch.

Above the rectangular portion of the post B, whereon is secured theplate B', said post is reduced to provide a pivot-pin d, and upon saidpivot-pin is fulcrumed a bar or lever D, having through one end anelongated slot CZ', through which the upper end of the endfbar of thegate passes. The rear portion of the bar D is cut away beyond theplate,fso as to receive in said cut-away or recessed portion a bolt D',said bolt being supported in suitable bearings and having thereon aspring, the tendencyof which is to shoot the bolttoward the gate, sothat its end may enter the recess b' in the plate. The rear end of thebolt is bent so as to extend upward, passes jthrough an opening d2 inthe bar D, and has attached thereto strings or cords for retracting thebolt. 'Immediately above the bar D is a Washer e, and above said Washeron the pin d is a bar E, which has therethrough a slot e', and anopening through which passes a bolt F, said bolt having a rectangularhead,

vand an opening f, through which are guided the cords attached to itsupwardly-projecting end. The boltFhas osets f' and belowsaid offsets astem with a threaded end for the reception of a nut.

Upon the bolt F, above the reduced end of the bar D, are the inner'endsof rodsG G, said rodsbeingvheld in pivotal engagement withthe bar D.These rods pass `through openings in posts I-I H, located adjacent tothe gateway, and the flexible connections or cords, which extend fromthe bolt D' through the head of the bolt F, are guided through suitablestaples or eyes carried by the rods G and depend through the looped endsthereof. When the latch is drawn out of the recess IOO b, the lever orbar D may be swung upon its pivot, and its swinging movement is limitedby the depending portion thereof engaging one of the projecting portionsof the plate, thereby preventing the lever from assuming a position orangle which would renderit diiicnlt to operate the same by the rod.

To the bar D may be attached a suitable housing comprising a pair ofinclined boards, which are attached to strap-iron supports, thehorizontal portions thereof being attached to the sides or upper portionof the bar D, so that said housing will move in unison with the bar andcover the parts carried thereby, so as to protect them from the weather.

In operation,supposing the gate to be closed, a person in a vehicle oron horseback approaching the gate draws upon the flexible connectionwhich depends from the rod G, which draws the bolt out of the recess bin the plate B'. Then by drawing upon the i'leXible connection or rod Gthe end of the bar D to which the rod G is connected is moved toward theoperator and the other end carries the end bar of the gate into one ofthe inclined portions of the slot, so that the forward end of the gatewill be raised, which frees the latch from its catch and changes thecenter of gravity of the gate, so that it will swing open. When it isdesired to close the gate, the opposite rod is drawn upon, which willcause the gate to swing on aline with the posts, the bolt automaticallyengaging its recess to hold the bar D on a line with the gate. A personon foot can open the gate by simply raising the latch and pressing uponthe gate, and after said person has passed through the gateway the gatewill automatically close. By having the end bar of ihe gate inclinedfrom its base outward there is no necessity of providing latches on theposts H, as the center of gravity is changed, so that the gate willremain open until the rods G are moved to bring the lever or bar D on aline with the fence.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a gate having an end post which inclines awayfrom the post to which it is attached, a plate carried by the gate-postand provided with an angular slot on one side of its center and on itsopposite side a bolt-recess, a bar pivoted to the gatepost, above theplate, said bar having at one end an elongated slot and at the other endoperating-rods which are pivoted thereto, a spring-actuated bolt carriedby said pivoted bar, a brace-bar pivoted at one end to the gate-post andsecured at the other end to the bolt on which the operating-rods arepivoted, said bolt having an aperture therethrough, flexible connectionsattached to the springactuated bolt and to the gate-operating rods whichextend from the pivoted bar on each side of the gate, the parts beingorganized substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with a swinging gate having an inclined end bar, of aplate attached to the upper end of a fence-post and provided with a slotthe sides of which converge and join, and opposite the slot with arecess, a bar pivoted above the plate and provided at one end with aslot, the end bar of the gate engaging the plate and bar by being passedthrough the slots therein, a bolt carried by the bar, a spring formoving the bolt towa'rd the plate, rods attached to the bar and flexibleconnections secured to the bolt and to the rods, substantially as shownand for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with agate, of a fencepost provided with a platehaving an angular slot through which one of the end bars of the gatepasses, the plate having shoulders adjacent to the ends of the angularslot, and a semicircular portion between said shoulders, a lever pivotedto the fence-post above the plate, said'lever having a depending portionwhich overlies the semicircular portion of the plate so that the leverwill abut against the shoulders before the end bar of the gate reachesthe end of the slot.

et. In gate-operating mechanism, the combination with a swinging gateand its guideplate, of a lever which engages the gate and swingshorizontally over the guide-plate, a latch carried by the lever forengagement with a recess in the guide-plate, said latch having avertical end which passes through an opening in the lever, a boltattached to the end of the lever said bolt having a guideopening, rodsconnected to the lever by the bolt,ilexible connections attached to thelatch guided by the opening in the bolt and connected to the rods, a barmounted upon the same pivot and attached to the bolt, said bar having aslot through which passes the vertical end of the latch-bar,substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JNO. A. WELCH.

Witnesses:

J. P. HACHENBERG, A. E. SoHooLEY.

IOO

